Wardipedia

Category: Activities

The icing on the cake

How food is presented makes a big difference to patients’ experience of meals, and is very important in relation to eating, nutrition and health as well as making patients feel valued and looked after.

Moving images Cinema room, Harrison House in Grimsby Introduction TV is a central, but scarcely considered and definitely under-developed ward resource. The telly can be a wonderful source of interesting, funny, important things to talk about, while the programmes are going on. And you can build on ideas stimulated by what’s on, to enjoy activities…

Wii-habilitation Introduction Ge-Wii-atrics, Wii-habilitation… It’s not just the kids who are getting down with Nintendo Wii. Lots of wards now have Nintendo Wii machines, providing patients (and their visitors) with a delightful choice of entertainment, physical exercise and mental stimulation. One of the reasons why Wii is so great is that it can be used…

Work in progress Introduction Having ‘meaningful occupation’ is central to everyone’s identity, sense of purpose and satisfaction with life. An income is a definite bonus, especially at a time when welfare benefits are being beaten up, and paid work is certainly the ambition for most people with or without a mental illness. But the enormous…

Making the headlines Introduction Producing a ward newsletter can feel like a daunting amount of work. But it’s a great way of providing your patients, staff and friends and family with up-to-date information, creating a sense of community, involvement and inclusion and having fun. Newsletters can also be creative, showcasing patient artwork, poetry and short…

The great escape “There is no friend as loyal as a book” – Ernest Hemingway Introduction Being on an acute ward is a great opportunity to catch up with reading, or embark on what could be a lifetime of reading pleasure. Although many patients, particularly soon after they have been admitted, are too distressed or disoriented…

The best therapy. Introduction The good thing is that we don’t need to be Lenny Henry or Dawn French, to be able to improve our appreciation of humour. ‘Seeing funny’ can be learned. The key is to practice seeing funny, especially by noticing multiple layers of meaning. As well as noticing and enjoying humour and…